Drought is a major constraint on crop productivity and a significant risk for farmers. The challenges associated with drought are likely to increase due to climate change, which will increase temperatures and alter precipitation patterns. Adapting the nation's agricultural system to water-limited conditions is a major priority to ensure food security and sustainable farm economics. Current drought management strategies are limited to soil management practices and crop variety choice. A crop protection product that could be sprayed on or applied to drought-affected fields at the onset of drought to protect or enhance yields would be a valuable tool for growers to adapt to drought and climate change in real time.
Strigolactones are a recently discovered class of hormones known to regulate development and stress response. Strigolactone has not been evaluated as a product due to its high cost of production. We have developed novel and economical routes to produce plant propagation materials. The plant propagation materials may comprise strigolactone. Alternatively, or additionally, the plant propagation materials comprise chemical mimics of strigolactone. The plant propagation materials may be administered to plants, such as maize. Plants treated with strigolactones may show a significant resistance to the adverse effects of water-limited conditions. In addition, plants treated with strigolactones may show increased plant yield. Further disclosed herein are uses of plant propagation materials.